Penguins march without Sidney Crosby; ruled out vs. Flames
Anthony Scultore
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Sidney Crosby will miss the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 7th game of the season Thursday against the visiting Calgary Flames.
The Penguins captain is still recovering from wrist surgery that took place on Sept. 8. Crosby, 34, was part of the team’s optional skate on Thursday morning.
While coach Mike Sullivan said progress is being made over the last three practices, the team’s website was quick to point out that Crosby will not play on Thursday night.
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Crosby still not ready
“So the timeline on how we deal with Sid, I think we’ll keep internally,” Sullivan said Thursday. “That’s something that we make decisions with our medical staff on a daily basis at this point. We’re at that stage where Sid is really, he’s getting closer and closer. So we consult with our medical staff throughout the course of each day and first thing in the morning after an overnight. We get feedback from those guys.”
“A lot of it, quite honestly, is based on Sid’s feedback as well, and where he’s at. We’re trying to make sure we put Sid in the best possible position to be successful. So we make those decisions daily.”
Sullivan said there are no medical clearances preventing Crosby from returning to game action for the Penguins (3-1-2).
Crosby has been dealing with a wrist issue dating back to 2014. After the Olympics, the Penguins fiery captain had a run in with tough guy Ryan Reaves. In a game against the Blues, Crosby hit Reaves and took the worst of it.
“Reavo got ahold of me pretty good at home here after the Olympics,” Crosby said via NHL.com. “It was something that I kind of had to manage since then.”
A three-time Stanley Cup champion and two-time Hart Trophy recipient, Crosby has recorded 1,325 points (486 goals, 839 assists) in 1,039 games since being selected by the Penguins with the top overall pick of the 2005 NHL Draft.
“There were points when it bugged me more than others, but it wasn’t terrible,” Crosby said. “It was just something that was kind of nagging. You just get used to it. It’s just something that is part of your daily routine as far as managing it.”
The Penguins have done well without their captain, but also are without Evgeni Malkin, who is expected back in December.
–Field Level Media contributed to this report